


Andriel from the eyes of the foxes

by bri_the_weeb



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-03
Updated: 2020-08-03
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:41:13
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,579
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25685188
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bri_the_weeb/pseuds/bri_the_weeb
Summary: Foxes thoughts while observing Andriel interactions. Nicky, Allison, and Renee.They all observe different aspects of the Andriel relationship, sort of.Chapter 1: Nicky starts it off basically by silently wandering wth makes Andriel more than just hate sex.Chapter 2: Allison follows with the dreaded discussion with Neil, where she makes him severely uncomfortable by asking prying and very rude questions about their sex life lol. This is where relationship hypothesis are formed.Chapter 3: Renee's much more insightful take on Andriel, with actual factual information about Andrew's character instead of Nicky's sort of biased but loving misunderstandings and Allison's just as biased, semi-violent dislike of Andrew coloring everything lol.** Warning: There will def be mentions of the abuse Neil, Andrew, and Aaron suffered, so, just be aware of that, I guess. Also, depending on where I take this, there will be mentions of self-harm, depression, anixety/panic attacks, drug/alcohol abuse, etc, etc. So, like, content/trigger warnings abound!
Relationships: Neil Josten/Andrew Minyard
Comments: 5
Kudos: 116





	Andriel from the eyes of the foxes

Until the revelation of Andrew and Neil’s relationship, Nicky had thought his gaydar an accurate and refined tool. He’d successfully predicted Neil’s not-straight sexuality and was quite proud of himself for it. He’d have gone bragging to anybody who would listen (and anybody who wouldn’t) if Neil’s boyfriend was anybody but Andrew. Andrew, Nicky’s cousin who hadn’t ever told Nicky he was gay. Who hadn’t ever told Nicky anything, really. Not that Nicky could blame him. Andrew was as outgoing as a rock on a good day and was more likely to trust a pathological liar than someone who called themselves his family. Andrew did not have good experiences with “family”.

  


Still, even now, months after the events of Baltimore, weeks after their win against the Ravens and the death of Riko Moriyama, Nicky still couldn’t noticeably tell that Andrew and Neil were an item. Nicky had not realized his gaydar had so dull an edge.

All the Foxes were gathered together for a take-out dinner in the girls’ room. Renee, Allison, and Dan were squeezed together on the couch balancing their plates on their laps; Matt was seated on the arm of the couch next to Dan, a container and a pair of chopsticks clutched to his chest as he slurped lo mein; Kevin was seated in an armchair and grumbling in disapproval at their unhealthy diets; Aaron was paying more attention to his phone than his meal on the floor next to Nicky, likely doing his nightly check-in with Katelyn. And on Nicky’s other side, Neil sat beside Andrew, poking at his fried rice and side-eyeing Andrew as he collected the fortune cookies. Neil watched, his face impassive, as Andrew, his face somehow even more impassive than Neil’s, systematically opened, cracked, de-fortuned, and then ate the fortune cookies, showing even less interest in the Chinese food than he was in the people surrounding him.

  


Andrew’s apathy was an impenetrable wall between him and the rest of humanity. Nicky couldn’t see around it to the truth of his relationship with Neil. Nicky was extremely nosy by nature and loved some good gossip but he now knew better than to ask Andrew about it, since the last time he had, Andrew had literally tried to stab him. Neil wasn’t much better. Nicky had decided to sit back and observe instead but he decided only a detective of Sherlockian powers or maybe a telepath could detect their relationship.

  


At first, he’d thought it just hate sex. Andrew and Neil hadn’t exactly gotten along and there had been several incidents that would make them violently dislike each other, like all the Foxes had thought was the case. 

  


But Andrew had chosen Neil over Aaron.

  


Aaron had moved out of the dorm the cousins and Kevin shared and Neil had moved in. Neil had Andrew’s spare car key, a name on the insurance, and a place by his side and Nicky was positively  _ dying  _ to know how it had happened.

  


As he watched, Neil said, “There’s actual food here, too. You should try it sometime.”

  


Andrew slid Neil an unconcerned look and threw another fortune off the side.

  


Neil picked it up and read, “‘Rely on long time friends to give you advice this coming week.’” Neil flashed it at Andrew. “You should follow my advice and eat something with a lower sugar content.”

  


“You are not a  _ long time friend, _ ” Andrew said, unbothered. “And advice should not be taken from a reckless junkie like you.”

  


“I guess this would be impossible for you anyways,” Neil said, ignoring that last bit. He put his elbow on the coffee table and rested his head on his hand, tilted so he could keep looking at Andrew. “Having  _ long time friends _ requires having friends in the first place.”

  


Andrew didn’t say anything or react, not caring about friends and no friends. It made Nicky’s heart hurt a bit, so he said, “Andrew has friends.” And then when Andrew slid him a dead look, Nicky flashed a smile and said, “Foxes are friends.”

  


“I thought you said Foxes are family,” Neil said.

  


“Family can be friends,” Nicky explained. He poked Neil on the shoulder. “Don’t nitpick.”

  


“None of you are trustworthy sources of advice,” Andrew intoned. “You are all too stupid.”

  


No one had been paying attention to their conversation until Andrew said that; indignant arguments came flying their way from Allison, Dan, and Kevin. Matt was nodding supportively to Dan’s words and Aaron hadn’t bothered to look up from his phone.

  


“Everybody calm down,” Nicky yelled to be heard over the cacophony; Allison could be really loud sometimes. Nicky didn’t have hopes of calming them anyways and everyone went their separate ways after eating and arguing about the definitions and differences between friendship and family until dinner was over. Neil and Andrew sat silently as a righteous Allison dragged Renee to their bedroom; Aaron abandoned his plate to leave to spend the night at Katelyn’s; Matt and Dan cuddled up together on the couch to watch a movie; and Kevin left to go practice. Neil sent a longing look towards Kevin as he left for the Foxhole Court but he stayed behind to go back to the dorm with Nicky and Andrew, where Nicky enticed Neil into playing video games.

  


Nicky stayed for the sole purpose of observing them. Nicky and Andrew both plopped down on beanbags. Nicky powered up the gaming console and eyed Neil where he sat on the floor beside Andrew. Seriously, how were they together? They didn’t touch, hardly talked, and were kind of extremely incompatible. Nicky had a hard time viewing relationships objectively. Nicky and Erik’s relationship was strong and healthy and thus it served as Nicky’s judging parameters for a strong and healthy relationship. Nicky couldn’t imagine living without talking to Erik everyday, without remembering the touch of Erik’s hands or the way their personalities fix together like matching puzzle pieces. Andrew and Neil seemed more like two jagged razors being forced together; they couldn’t match together without breaking each other down or hurting each other.

  


Nicky gave Neil a gaming controller and patiently taught him how to fight his way through the new zombie game Nicky had bought and despaired at Andrew’s complete disinterest. Andrew's blank gaze lay somewhere beyond the TV screen, millions of miles away from reality, and Nicky wondered how he ever became interested in Neil when Andrew couldn’t even muster the energy to be interested in a video game.

  


Kevin came back, didn’t spare them a glance, and went straight to sleep. Andrew eventually got up from the beanbag chair and went to bed. Neil and Nicky stayed up a bit longer before powering down the gaming console and heading to bed as well. Andrew was silent and still in his bed, asleep, and Neil got on his own. Nicky lay down as well and wished he could understand his cousins.

  


***

  


A few hours later, Nicky woke to his phone vibrating to his reminder to call Erik. Germany was six hours ahead of South Carolina and Nicky and Erik took turns with morning wake up calls. It was nine in the morning in Germany. Nicky silently eased up from his bed, fumbling in the dark for his cell phone. The screen brought light to the room and Nicky froze in confusion when he saw Neil and Andrew’s empty beds.

  


A second later, excitement raced through him, leaving his lethargy behind. This was possibly his chance to see Neil and Andrew’s relationship in action. They probably acted completely different when they thought no one was watching.

  


The bedroom door was already cracked and Nicky opened it slowly so it wouldn’t creak. He stuck his head out to see into the living room.

  


Neil and Andrew were laid out on separate but close bean bag chairs, abandoned mugs on the ground and the lingering smell of coffee and cigarette smoke in their air. Neil lay curled up on his side, facing Andrew, limp as a ragdoll and obviously asleep. Andrew was looking at him and Nicky’s eyes widened at the look on his face. Andrew was as emotive as a glass of water on most days but now, he looked--

  


Well, not much different to be honest, but Nicky thought the blank set of his face had a different edge to it as he looked at Neil. He looked intense, attentive. If it was anyone but Andrew, Nicky would have thought him concerned. It was notable enough that Andrew was looking at Neil at all. When Andrew wasn’t interested in things, he just looked away from it. And at this moment, Andrew seemed like he couldn’t look away from Neil.

  


Nicky felt frustration edge in beside his excitement. Just what was their relationship like, that Andrew looked at Neil with such interest? What was it about Andrew that Neil could sleep so comfortably in his presence? To be honest, that confounded him the most. The possible intimacy of their relationship The sex part (if they were having sex, were they having sex??) he could understand because he had eyes, and Neil, even scarred and traumatized and with the social skills of a stray cat, was attractive. But what made their relationship actually work? What made them trust each other enough for physical and probably emotional intimacy? Nicky would have to tell Allison to ask for him, whenever she got around to prying answers out of Neil.


End file.
